MARIETTA, Ga. (CN) - A woman died from a liposuction in which the surgeon anesthetized her with a propofol-soaked rag stuffed into her mouth and pierced her liver, her father claims in court.
Hal Jenkins sued Dr. Nedra Dodds, Opulence Aesthetic Medicine and its parent company CLJ Healthcare LLC, on behalf of his late daughter April C. Jenkins, in Cobb County State Court.
April Jenkins died in February. A second woman died in June after liposuction at Opulence, according to a police report.
Opulence Aesthetic Medicine is a cosmetic surgery and full service medical spa in Kennesaw, Ga., serving patients from 45 states and 10 countries, with a satellite office in Dubai, according to its website.
Jenkins, 37, went to Opulence Aesthetic on Feb. 19 for Dodds to do the liposuction, her father says in the lawsuit.
"April Jenkins' vital signs were not assessed prior to the surgery," the complaint states.
"No nurses were in the room during the surgery.
"April Jenkins was not placed on a cardiac monitor during the surgery.
"During the procedure, propofol was administered by placing a rag in April Jenkins' mouth. The administering of propofol was not recorded by Opulence Aesthetic Medicine's records.
"During the procedure, Nedra Dodds, M.D., pierced April Jenkins' liver with a trocar.
"Nedra Dodds, M.D. and Opulence Aesthetic Medicine failed to record the time at which the procedure was completed.
"Following the procedure, April Jenkins tensed legs, arched body, and urinated, symptoms that indicate April Jenkins was undergoing a seizure.
"April Jenkins aspirated on the fluid buildup.
"April Jenkins went into respiratory arrest.
"Dr. Nedra Dodds, M.D. and Opulence Aesthetics Medicine failed to immediately call
911. Instead 911 was called ten minutes after April Jenkins went into respiratory arrest. ...
"April Jenkins was dead on arrival when she arrived at Wellstar Kennestone Emergency Department," the complaint states.
A Cobb County police officer wrote that night in an Incident/Investigation Report that he arrived in the surgery room to see Fire Rescue and EMTs doing CPR on "the victim identified as April C. Jenkins. Fire Rescue and EMTs advised that she was in full arrest."
Citing information from staff and doctors who "were in the room when the incident occurred," the police report states: "Doctor's [sic] and staff advised the fat transfer procedure was completed and the patient was coming to, when she sat up and urinated herself. The patient, Jenkins, then fell back onto the bed and started to make odd moaning noises. The doctor's [sic] started to tend to Jenkins with staff assistance. Staff advised that they worked on Jenkins for approximately 10 minutes and then they called 911. Dr. Nedra Dodds advised police that Jenkins was given 'reverse drugs' when she was first started full arrest."
Paramedics continued to perform CPR, suctioned her airway and continued defibrillation, while transporting her to Kennestone Hospital's emergency room, where she was pronounced dead.
Her father seeks damages for wrongful death, pain and suffering, professional negligence, and funeral expanses.
He is represented by Brent Savage, with Savage, Turner, Pinckney & Madison, of Savannah.
Another woman died in June after surgery at the Opulence clinic, according to a second police report .
In his June 20 incident report, Officer J.B. Melton wrote that he was called to Cobb Fire Station 16, concerning "suspicious activity on a medical call they responded to earlier in the evening."
The "suspicious activity" was at "Opulence Austentic [sic] Medicine," according to the police report.
It states: "Fire personnel arrived on scene and observed a twenty-eight year old black female, thought to be Ms. Erica Beaubrun from North Miami, Florida lying in a pool of blood. Fire personnel was notified that Ms. Beaubrun was at the center for a buttock reduction where her silicone implants were being removed. When Fire personnel arrived on scene, she was in a state of cardiac arrest, and according to medical records, had been since 18:50 hours, twenty-two minutes before Fire personnel was called.
"Fire personnel stated that they were working on Ms. Beaubrun and were about to declare her as deceased when they were able to regain a heartbeat. Ms. Beaubrun was transported to Kennestone Hospital and Fire personnel continued to work on Ms. Beaubrun at the Emergency Room. Ms. Beaubrun was handed over to Kennestone ER personnel.
"Lt. Thayer advised me that he believed Ms. Beaubrun was brain dead if not deceased by the time they left the hospital. I advised Sgt. Knoblach with Crimes Against Persons of the suspicious activity."
Dodds and Opulence did not respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment.
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